I'm back fellow RWD-ers!
It's been more than three weeks since I have flown back from Russia, but I had to work extra hard to catch up on my research work, and a close uncle passing away in Malaysia didn't do much to help ease my burden.
In the meantime, I have been writing bits and pieces of my journey until yesterday, when I finally got around to uploading the pictures (which took me quite some time to figure out but I ended up using flickr) and compiling my story together.
This is my contribution to RWD. Enjoy everyone!
AmsterdamPicking up from where I left off, shortly after starting this thread, I departed from London Heathrow on a short KLM flight to Amsterdam where I had a layover lasting just slightly over an hour before continuing my journey onwards to Moscow on a good old 737 (Pic 001). In fact, so old that you could hear even the interior creaking along in unison down the runway, literally.
Besides the "rough" start, the Inflight meal consisted of a single tiny sandwich!
I suppose I shouldn't have expected much, considering the fact that the flights were the cheapest deal I could find when I booked months ago.
What I noticed straightaway as I departed Amsterdam, was the drastic increase in the number of Russians aboard, and I was even more impressed to see the Air Hostesses (presumably Dutch) conversing in Russian. The appetite the Russians had for alcohol was nothing short of fascinating. Most I could see kept asking repeatedly for more red wine as soon as they downed the previous one within a minute. I guess there is certainly some truth to the stereotype after all
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Rushing to Kazansky StationAfter a leg numbing 5 hour flight, I landed in Sheremetyevo Airport. Passing immigration was no big issue, even though I haven't even learnt how to speak Russian, which was nice. Then, all my attention shifted to finding an ATM machine as I haven't brought ANY rubles with me with only ~£50 cash in my pocket. There was always a worry at the back of my mind whether my bank cards would work, even though I've been assured it would, after notifying the bank before I left.
As I was withdrawing cash in the airport, several men of mid-age appearance, approached me and started speaking in Russian. That, was where my first trouble began. I told them I could understand English but not Russian and one quickly started chatting away in English as I slowly realised, they were all taxi cabs trying to vie for a deal with me.
Naturally, I told them I was going to take the Aeroexpress to Moscow and then to Kazansky train station but the taxi cab kept arguing it'll be faster if I use the taxi. Now at this point, I was already in a rush to get to Kazansky station for my train which was going to depart for Kazan at 11pm and it was already around 8pm. Putting my faith in this cab's advice after negotiating the price down to 1600rub, I took the cab. One of the WORST decisions I've ever made, as I was in for one of the worst traffic jams I've ever experienced.
I had to say the driver certainly had some guts, zipping across so many lanes, sometimes past the red light just to cut time! Thankfully, I arrived at Kazansky station with still thirty minutes to spare. I was finally here!
(Pic 002) I figured time was still aplenty, so I went shopping for a mobile sim, and some flowers (yes this time I didn't forget the roses, if you've noticed in Pic 004) and still had a couple minutes to spare as I stood in line to board my carriage which formed a part of the sleeper train. What was certainly interesting was how vintage or archaic the passenger carriages as well as the engine compartments looked (Pic 003). A very far cry from the trains I was used to in England that's for sure!
And the speed wasn't anything to be in awe about either. It didn't take much for me to fall asleep in my bunk.
I am sure what I was endeavouring to do here, meets the very definition of a Write Many Visit Many (WMVM) trip. Throughout this trip, I had to make sure to give myself at least a day of "downtime" between my travels to date different girls in order to "freshen up".
When I say "freshen up", I mean having a shower, cleaning your clothes of any leftover hair, perfume, stowing away any presents, souvenirs etc and forgetting all the emotional baggage of the last girl you met. Perhaps some people can forget about their previous encounter in just an instant. I admit I can't.
I've had to compartmentalize my feelings for each lass, and I find it is most useful to have at least a day in between, so that one will be able to be on a good, positive state of mind again, ready to commit to the next potential future wife
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I woke up in the morning to the sounds of the train stopping as it approached a town, but speeding up again as it went further and further, with the sunrise barely noticeable in this cold snowy weather. Even as the day brightened, there wasn't much to be seen except an endless blanket of snow and pockets of forest as the "sleeper" train traversed through the countryside at a slow pace.
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KazanFinally, I've arrived in Kazan! (Pic 006 shows the Kazan station. Taken after disembarking). 19 year old lass, Girl1 was there to greet me, all dolled up, patiently waiting for me to get out of my carriage (she even remembered which carriage I was on
). I presented her with the flowers I've hastily bought in Kazansky station in Moscow. Girl1 really liked them and hugged me
Girl1 wasted no time calling for a taxi to get us to my apartment where I was going to stay for four nights. As we waited for the taxi, I started up a conversation and it was from this point on, that I quickly realised that she wasn't exactly fluent in English.
I think I was partly to blame for not noticing it earlier, as I never really spoke anything more complex than simple questions about her life in general. I never once noticed it during our video calls. It was only when we actually met, that I realised, her English was only enough for basic conversations. Otherwise, I had to depend on my translator app, which was quite hit and miss at times
Upon getting the keys and moving into my booked apartment, it quickly became apparent that Girl1 wasn't very pleased with it.
She started persuading me, telling me the conditions of the place was dirty and terrible which was arguably true to a certain extent. Even so, I had no other place to go even if I wanted to move from this apartment as I have always planned to just stick with it. Then came Girl1's answer:"You can stay at my grandma's place, and I'll stay with you and we'll live together, there".
You can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was, and I hastily agreed!
What a chance to have even better quality time together, or so I thought. After several phone calls, off we went to her grandma's place, where I was received with open arms by her grandma. This is the view from the balcony of grandma's place (Pic 007). It was also here that I first learned it's really a normal thing in Russia to have a double set of front doors for almost any apartment on the block, courtesy of safety concerns.
After taking off my shoes and slipping into slippers, I was quickly served a vast, overwhelming array of food at the kitchen table. There were dried fruits, a kind of black tea with lemon and dates in it, chocolates, beef, salad with their own homegrown strawberry sauce and Ocpocmaq (Өчпочмак), lots and lots of Ocpocmaq among other things. There was no way I could have finished all of them and yet they told me all the food on the table was for me?!??
In order to be polite, I just ate what they offered to me by hand, every time they did. Make no mistake, the food was great, but all the offerings were already enough to fill me up till I felt my stomach was going to burst. Suffice to say, they certainly made it a point to keep their guests well fed for sure!
As we ate at the table, we did our best to communicate across our thoughts, even though grandma didn't know a word of English and Girl1 couldn't translate much either. Even my translator apps weren't much help as it wasn't exactly reliable. With much difficulty, I learnt that grandma has really had a hard life, now a widow and living alone in the apartment at the ripe age of 84,... Sad really but perhaps, this was also her choice too, to live alone.
I also came to know Grandma is a full blooded Tatar and consequently muslim too!
Girl1 on the other hand is of mixed ancestry and she's told me repeatedly that she isn't a believer in Islam though her father is. One wonders, how this can even be possible? Perhaps the culture (or what's left of it after the USSR) has evolved to become secular.
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After being stuffed to the brim with food, Girl1 and I decided to go out again and tour around the city centre in Kazan whilst the day was still young. At this point, I've grown accustomed to the aging infrastructure around Kazan like this bus stop (Pic 008). We went down from the 6th floor and took buses and trams to visit the Kazan Kremlin, apparently a large and beautiful museum and also the "Qulsharif" Blue-domed Mosque behind it (Pic 009, Pic 010), which was certainly a magnificent building to see!
After that was a nice romantic dinner at a restaurant with her (Pic 011) and my gift flowers which she's brought with her all over the place since morning. I finally had the chance to try Borscht myself for the very first time. It was also here, that serious discussions about our future started to be had, concerning the viability of her moving to the UK, starting a life, a family etc.
Went back to grandma's place after that, and slept in the living room on a makeshift bed from a convertible sofa. What a great first day.
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I woke up to the voice of Girl1 telling me it was time to wake up and breakfast was ready. I checked the time. 6.15am!!
Still, one of the things I found so enviable of Tatar women, at least grandma and Girl1 anyway, was the fact that they'll never let anyone starve. I watched, delighted as my Girl1 poured me tea, spread strawberry paste on my bread, tasted it first before giving it to me (
) and washed up everything after we had finished. Repeat this for lunch and dinner also, for every single day I was here and I quickly became a very happy man, I mean Guest.
We visited the Farmers Palace soon after (Pic 012), also the headquarters for the Ministry of Agriculture (what a grand building for that!), which was quite near the Kazanka (largely frozen over at that point) river embankment.
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We also toured Victory Park where we saw monuments (Pic 013), like the eternal flame (Pic 014) symbolizing the sacrifices that were made in the Great Patriotic War. Girl1 wasn't sure I would like it though she has already known of my fascination with parks. I had the chance to see the armored personnel carriers and the infamous T34 tank up close (Pic 015) as well as a Tank Destroyer! (Pic 016). All fascinating.
As we toured the park, I held my hand over her waist, and it was here that she finally told me she didn't like it
, giving the excuse that she came from a very "conservative family". "No Mwah Mwah!" She said.
I for one remain ever dubious. I have also noticed too, ever since yesterday, the first day we met, that she had stopped wearing makeup and it would appear to remain so, until the end of my stay in Kazan. Perhaps, that there alone, was already a first sign of dis-interest? Sigh. I have no idea if this is just part of Tatar culture but she certainly seems hard to warm up for sure.
Other than Victory Park, we visited a couple of malls and souvenir shops and that was the end of the day.
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We visited Bolgar the next day, roughly 200km and three hours away by car from Kazan with Girl1's grandfather (paternal side) driving us there in his own Lada (yes, these things still run on the road!). Grandma (maternal side, a widow) and Girl1's younger sister also came along with us on this trip. Five people in a Lada. How economical
There wasn't much to see along the way as the vast majority of Tatarstan was still covered in snow (Pic 017) though it was opposite when we arrived.
Bolgar is certainly a place rich with history, spanning across multiple cultures with UNESCO sites and yet here I was, not even the slightest aware of its existence ever, before I visited Kazan. The co-existence of Christianity and Islam was very easily noticeable here. Very rarely do you see a Mosque and a Church right next to each other, much less the same building(Pic 018 & Pic 021)!
Also saw what appeared to be an islamic monument (Pic 022). Then came the biggest, most beautiful and most magnificent engineering marvel of all, the "White Mosque" (Pic 023, Pic 024) with its beautiful interiors (Pic 019, Pic 020, Pic 025). Pic 023 especially lets you appreciate this beauty in its full glory.
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By the time we came back to Kazan, it was already well past 5pm in the evening and Grandma, Girl1 and I were dropped off straight to Grandma's apartment (Pic 025). After a long delicious dinner, Grandma pulled out her big album of photos to share with me and Girl1.
It was this last night living together under one roof, that I got to know of her family, her deceased husband, her children, her now deceased boy. It was here, that things became very emotional though Grandma did a decent job of hiding it, even as Girl1 had watery eyes. As I've never had her consent to share some of the family pictures I've seen, they'll remain off this site. All the photos (including the mono and coloured) were very aged, especially the mono, where I also learnt she's been married twice and now a widow as both husbands have died. One of her sons dead, from serving in the army. One can certainly see and empathise how life has not been kind on her throughout the years.
I tried lifting the atmosphere by focusing on the grandchildren and asking her more about them and that seemed to cheer her up abit as she went on and on about her little grandchildren. In retrospect, I learnt not only much about their family but also their cultural norms, their lifestyle and...to a certain extent what happiness means for them, just listening to Grandma. Amongst other things, Grandma asked me what I felt for her granddaughter and I told her, that I really like her and that I came all the way just to see her. Grandma then wandered off, not asking anything further.
That night, Girl1 also introduced me to her mother, who looked a typical Tatar. She also asked me the same questions as Grandma did. We had a nice meaningful discussion though it was very difficult because of the language barrier, just like Grandma.
Sometimes, it seems to me as if most FSU women I've vetted and met online, just seem to come from damaged families. Girl1 in particular never knew her true biological father as her mother married another man shortly after giving birth to her. That meant she was an unwanted child, at least to her biological father.
As we shall continue to notice as we move further down to Girl2, Girl3 and Girl4 you shall see that all came from problematic families. One certainly wonders if this is the norm for women who join dating sites. Or perhaps, it is just me who keeps attracting these kind of women. I truly hope I am simply seeing things.
Then I was off to sleep, feeling anxious towards my final day in Kazan.
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I woke up early in the morning to see so much food on the table for breakfast, so much so that I don't think I can ever get used to it! Obviously I couldn't finish everything so Grandma ended up packing the leftovers and putting it all in my backpack. That was certainly unexpected, but I was very grateful.
After that, Girl1 and I decided to visit a few theatres around Kazan as we still had a bit of time in the morning before I have to catch my train in the afternoon to leave for "Moscow".
We visited the G. Kariev Theatre (Pic 027) and the Tatar State Puppet Theatre (Pics 028, 029, 030, 031, 032). All fantastic places of cultural significance.
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We also went into a shop full of Soviet collectibles, where I had the chance to try out this wartime jacket (Pic 033). (Pic 034) Photo of another church taken from the view of a tram. Kazan is so full of places of worship.
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We went back to Grandma's place for the last time, and collected my things. Before we set out for the train station for my trip back to "Moscow", Grandma wanted both of us to sit, and so we all sat down for at least a minute, before we were allowed to leave. Apparently it is the tradition to do so, especially when the journey will be long for good luck.
Once we arrived at the train station, Girl1 took me through security and accompanied me all the way to the platform. Then she disappeared off to look at the timetables.
Then all of a sudden, her younger sister popped out from nowhere!
Holding a jar of honey and a roll of drawing in her hands. She wanted me to have them, and so I did. She too, asked me about my thoughts on her big sister, and I simply told her that I liked her for sure but I am unsure, what she wants for the future.
I could see her face blushing up and smiling as she read the words that were shown on her phone as it translated my words. Girl1 came back, and together with her sister, sent me off. Before boarding the train, we took one last picture (Pic 035) together. I wanted to hug Girl1 but she refused, due to her Tatar upbringing as she explained to me before. She kept waving at me, even as I sat there looking back at her from the window, catching glimpses of sadness in her eyes, which seemed to already sparkle with what looked like tears, even as my train started moving away from her as she stood, stationary.
Part of me was dumbfounded. Why now?!? Why didn't she express more of her feelings when I was there, next to her the whole time??" It was a pity really. Perhaps towards the end, Girl1 wasn't brave enough to move further, at the young age of 19. I do not know if she have had bad experiences, or it was because I frightened her. She was so eager to receive me before I came, but once I was there so close with her, I was shown much less intimacy.
Ultimately, I ended things officially with Girl1 after I left. It was time to cut my losses. The "slight" language barrier and her inability to share with me her true feelings and deliberate upon her future made me decide I shouldn't waste much more time with her. I wrote to her and messaged her on the phone and thanked her and her Grandma for making my stay, much warmer.
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Nizhny NovgorodBefore I left Girl1 and boarded my train originally headed for Moscow, I have already made plans to jump off the train at Arzamas, a small city in the middle of my journey. Hence, I have bought another ticket in advance to take me from Arzamas all the way to Nizhny Novgorod.
The reason for doing this, was to make Girl1 believe that I was only seeing her and only interested in her and no one else. From reading the various trip reports here and observing the lives of successful couples, I've found that most women/girls cannot truly give their all to love and commit to a man, deeply, if she knows she is not the only woman in the man's eyes. Also, the moment you establish a good connection online, is also the moment I find best to start giving the impression you're committed before the girl commits.
It was what I did, every single time. I did not want to leave anything to chance, if I could help it.
I arrived at Arzamas when it was already ~11pm and slept in this beautiful, unfamiliar train station (Pic 036) along with a group of Russians, waiting to catch the next train in the morning for Nizhny Novgorod.
The whole journey from Arzamas to Nizhny Novgorod only lasted 2 hours, a far cry from the 14 hours I endured in my journey to Kazan from Moscow. In the final minutes before I arrived at Moscow station, I saw the vast expanse of the Volga river, still completely frozen over with a couple of brave souls, playing on the ice
. Nizhny Novgorod when I arrived, was still completely covered in 30cm thick snow, all over (Pic 037).
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Contrary to Girl1, Girl2 did not wait at the platform to receive me. Rather, Girl2 was already outside the station entrance for me. Here, gentlemen, is where I received one of the greatest SHOCK OF MY LIFE!!
She was, ahem, much more different than what I had ever expected. (Pic 038) Completely different from all her photos. Only the voice was recognisable. Even so, her english skills were basically non-existent to the extent that, we were a hopeless case without the translator app.
I readily admit I was partly to blame for this. In business lingo, I didn't do enough "due diligence". I have only made phone calls and chatted extensively with her, and looked at her photos (in hindsight, they were obviously professionally photo-shopped to oblivion).
Gentlemen, if you are still reading, I don't care whatever freaking reason you have, if you do have a lass of interest, you need to VIDEO CALL i.e SKYPE!! before making the move to visit, always!
I asked her to explain to me why her English was so smooth and fluent when I was chatting with her on the phone, to which she replied, that she always had a translator friend who she always had on the phone when she was always speaking to me to help translate my words into Russian for her to understand. Then, she replied to the translator, who texted her the English words, for her to read aloud to me, all in a matter of seconds. I have no doubt she must've paid good money for both these services. There was no noticeable delay on the phone.
All very disingenuous! However, I had to hand it to her for playing her game so well. At the very least, her strong intellect that I could sense from our phone calls together, were true!
Besides that, I always found it strange from the outset that she told me she was living alone in her own apartment, at so young an age. I have long suspected her family background was very good.
As I would later find out, she was indeed from a very well-off family. However, she never got along well with her father (she found daddy over-controlling) and so she decided to move out into another flat of her parents' in Nizhny Novgorod, at the tender age of 17 when she started studying for her degree till today, where she is now working full-time as a real estate developer and about to start her own fashion line, probably with some backing from her family.
And here I was, a broke research student, making every £ stretch as much as possible at the age of 24
haha
She did make my stay very comfortable though. Even before I arrived, she had already offered me her flat to stay in, and live with her for the duration of my stay in Nizhny. It was an offer I could not refuse. Oh how lucky I thought I was going to be, spending more private time with Girl2 and getting to know each other more intimately.
Not.
I found out she's a cat lady
(Pic 039). She had two cats to be precise, one white and one black. I have heard cat ladies are stereo-typically lonely. Perhaps it applies here.
Overall it was a cozy place. However, I was much less impressed with the ad-hoc electrical wiring (Pic 040) that's been done on the mains electrical supply in this Soviet-Era apartment. It's a wonder it hasn't caught fire, touchwood! Wiring like these always make me uncomfortable and would've been a serious crime where I live.
I showered and freshened up. Then I sat down and rummaged in my backpack to produce a nice big teddy bear (it was the biggest of my supply and I had always originally intended it for her
).
"Oh!! You are so nice!!" said the lass, as she teared up visibly, and hugged me till I could breath no more.
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Before the day was over, we decided to kill some time and have a walk through the historical Bolshaya Street (Pic 041) and have a tour around Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin where I purchased quite a few souvenirs. Just like the Kremlin in Moscow, it is basically a fortress. Inside, I was pleasantly surprised to find an assortment of old military hardware, like this "Katyusha" rocket truck (Pic 042) here. Apparently the Katyusha truck was based off an American design
We headed back on foot after that and she decided to cook up a vast delicious amount of food for me. Mashed potatoes, ham, cheese, friend onions, etc. Quite simple but yum
Repeat this for the rest of my stay and I'm a very happy man
I know she'll make a great mother.
Then it was lights out after that, watching a film in her "theatre room" (with surround sound and a decent screen) while we cuddled up together very close as it felt quite cold inside. Hmm, I was slightly suspicious that she turned off the heater, but she told me there's poor heating in this room
At this point in time, I was still trying my best to forget about our morning fiasco and trying to like and love her, as a person and truth be told, she did everything she could to be a very desirable, submissive candidate for wife.
Imagine breakfast, lunch, dinner, and place of stay, as well as the cost of living, all taken cared of, what more can one need?
Yet, here I was, still trying my best to shake off that feeling of slight disappointment that I've been duped beyond comprehension. x.x
I won't elaborate further what she wanted to do with me in bed. She kept nuzzling on my chest... Gentlemen, lets leave it at that.
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For the next day, we decided to continue where we left off and took the tram to see the vast frozen Volga River from the embankment (Pic 043).
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We also headed down the Chkalov Stairs, a very famous architectural masterpiece (Pics 044, 045, 046). It was truly a grand scene to behold. This alone, makes travelling to Nizhny Novgorod in this dark, unpredictable pseudo-winter/spring well worth the effort!
We did nothing much for the rest of the day as it was raining really bad in this "winter/spring" which just made everything much colder.
Other than that, most of the time was spent in the shopping mall.
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Today was the third day of my stay here in Nizhny Novgorod already and I was starting to feel frustrated at the prospects of staying with her for the rest of the week. By this time, I have thought myself through, and I could see there wasn't going to be a practical nor desirable future with her. Her non-existent English skills, caked up make-up and whatnot, it was simply too much for me to bear. Everytime I went for a kiss on her makeup caked-up cheek, I was left with a less than desirable taste in my lips.
I think she sensed my frustration. After much discussion, she decided perhaps I needed some excitement. She brought me to an underground go-kart track (Pic 047) and that was AWESOME! I have yet to obtain a driver's license, so it was definitely a great experience. My enjoyment was evident in my lap times which just kept improving as I went up the learning curve (Pic 048). Every step on the gas pedal was accompanied by a rush of adrenaline for sure
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Girl2 was a fantastic driver too and she was always close behind my kart, the whole time. We raced around like mad for what must have been 2 hours. Then we walked, her arm curled up around mine, as we toured and went past shops, for hours and hours, till the night was upon us (Pic 049), where she told me this was her favourite bridge. Can't remember the name.
Whilst waiting as she prepped our dinner, I had the chance to try this "cucumber" flavoured drink (Pic 050). Blergh, didn't like it.
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Today, was the day I was leaving Nizhny Novgorod and leaving Girl2. Last night, I told Girl2 I had to cut my visit short, because I had other "commitments" that had suddenly come up in Moscow and I will fly back to London very soon.
Obviously, it was entirely my decision not to waste further time, as well as Girl2's. My commitment was now to Girl3, for who I have decided to bring up the schedule on. You can imagine the joy in Girl3's voice, when she learnt I was going to arrive earlier than expected and stay much much longer with her
I needed to end this today.
She felt sad that I was leaving already, today. She told me:"It is so soon, but I understand". Before I had the chance to have a serious talk about where we stand, she had already decided to take me with her to visit this historical architectural masterpiece, called "Rukavishnikov's Estate" as my train was only departing in the afternoon. I thought it was a fantastic proposition too.
You simply have to be there in person, to appreciate it in its full grandeur. We arrived at the entrance (Pic 051) and learnt the ceiling (Pic 052) was painted by a great Italian painter.
Girl2 was very considerate to the fact that I couldn't understand Russian, so she unbeknownst to myself, had already arranged for an English speaking guide to show me around Rukavishnikov's Estate.
We were shown the family tree of Rukavishnikov (Pic 053). Which children didn't survive, which ones joined the revolution, and went against the Tsar. Apparently they were a very rich merchant family who owned the city's first steel plant, and who have largely prospered off trade at Nizhny Novgorod, a trading centre in the past where West met East and items like tea was traded.
At the time when this whole Estate was built, it was the most expensive home in Nizhny Novgorod. All fascinating stuff.
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Some of the furniture items were simply fillers but otherwise, the Bolshevik Revolution left the whole Estate largely intact and apparently re-purposed it as an office for awhile. Pic 054 shows an iron staircase, intended for use by the servants of the house, only. Pics 055, 056 shows the typical bedroom and dressing room of the important women of the household.
Pic 058 shows a Dining room, interconnected to the conference room (Pic 057), connected directly to a Ballroom (Pics 059, 060). All very grand!
The weather was already starting to turn nice today, and Girl2 and I took this one last picture (Pic 061) from the embankment in front of Rukavishnikovs Estate with the Frozen Volga river as the backdrop.
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Then we were off to Bolshaya Street again, where I managed to have a photo with this Monument to the founder of Nizhny Novgorod (Pic 063) and this interesting copper statue shoe-polisher boy (Pic 062).
After a quick lunch, Girl2 hired a taxi to accompany me all the way to the train station and the platform. Girl2 wanted me to promise I will come again but I told her I can't promise her anything to which she replied to me that it was already a very sad day for her.
I got on the train, and off I went, to Moscow and then later on...eventually to Vladimir for Girl3 (to be continued). Once I arrived in Moscow, I checked in to a cheap shared room in a hostel to re-organise myself. From here on, this would be my base, my backup place to fall back on, in case I can't find the next place of stay.
I freshened up, stowed away everything, did some laundry, ironed my shirts and restocked myself with flowers, before the next visit beckoned
Onwards to Vladimir! One of the Cities of the Golden Ring...
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VladimirI remembered clearly I left Moscow around 2pm and reached Vladimir around 5pm in the evening (Pic 064). Coincidentally, there was a train also due to arrive 10 minutes before my train from Moscow to Vladimir. So I mistakenly told Girl3 I was going to arrive in Vladimir in the earlier train
You can imagine the shock she must've had when the earlier train left without me in sight
She later told me when the earlier train left, she ran all around the platform searching for me, and failing that, decided to got back into the train station to speak to the station master. The station master responded by telling her that she's been duped, and that I'm surely not real. How amusing
So that train left, and within 10 minutes, my train arrived and I slowly disembarked, my eyes searching for Girl3 the whole time but failing to find her. I went into the train station and lo and behold, there she was, brimming with smiles all over and waving frantically at me. I went past security and gave her a big bouquet of flowers (17 roses to be exact) which I've bought in Moscow.
She instantly pulled my hand to follow her. Talk about being assertive
I wanted to take the taxi but she insisted on taking the bus. I don't mind taking public transport, but I could have sworn the bus stop was five flights of stairs below! O.O!!! It was an exercise for sure, dragging my stuff along in the melting snow. There was no sympathy for me either
We took the bus (I told her next time, I'll be using the taxi for sure. 200 rubles? Fair exchange) to my hotel which was literally just a block away from her parents' apartment. Yes, this lass has always been living with her parents at the tender age of 18, about to go into University.
There, I've booked a single room and it had quite a nice view (Pic 065) with Girl3's apartment block directly in sight
.
The free meals here weren't too shabby either (Pic 066).
Once we've settled in, Girl3 and I took off our jackets and laid sprawn across the hotel bed, seemingly exhausted. I caressed her soft delicate hand for the first time, and I could hear a gasp. It was the softest hands I've ever encountered so far. Ah, she liked what I was doing.
I proceeded to give her a back massage and she moaned in approval. Then all of a sudden, a phone call.
-Pic 064)
-Pic 065)
It was her mama, apparently. She's made dinner for me as well and wanted us to go to their apartment this instance. I will come to realise that FSU women are extremely close to their mothers. No exceptions! Usually the FSU lass will receive at least a phone call a day from mama, asking how she is doing. Seriously, this happened with Girl1, Girl2 and all the subsequent ladies I met.
I can only gather that what Mendy posted earlier is largely true in Russian society. They're so close to their mama. If you can win her mama's approval, you're pretty much set to win her hand in marriage, hands down
Their two-room apartment was quite comfortable, though not the biggest I've lived in. That award goes to Girl2. I took this while Girl3 wasn't watching
(though she approved much later) (Pic 067). She told me I was very lucky to have come during this time as she was currently on holiday from school.
We had a very nice dinner together, with her parents too. We discussed many things together at the table and for once, it was so pleasant as Girl3 could instantly translate whatever was being said on the fly. I was happy to find that I had a few things in common with her dad. We were both hobbyist fishermen and it wasn't long be fore we exchanged fishing tales as he tried his best to tell me stories of his catch near the dacha (summer house).
Then Girl3 and I were left to our own devices and I was "led" to Girl3's room. Ah, such feminine hands (Pic 068). I can never stop touching them. I sat next to her as we kept talking on and on about our shared interests. Philosophy, history etc. I have no doubt she'll make a great historian, debunking historical revisionism among other things, though she dreams of being a future diplomat
. Obviously I would rather she be a housewife. I've discussed at length with her about this, and she eventually conceded to me she'll be satisfied to be employed by a private company, as she wants to follow her husband.
She says it is normal in their culture to follow the husband, citing the wives of the aristocrats of olden days as evidence. Hmm, I remain dubious. I'm sure I've heard the same story from this forum before and I am sure, Russia has changed considerably for the past century even.
By the way, she is certainly as much of a bookworm as I once were during my high school days. (Pic 072) in particular below reminds me so much of what I used to do! Look at all those fact notes posted to her "wall" in chronological order that needs remembering! It quickly became even more apparent that we shared so so much in common.
And that was it for the night. Girl3 wanted me to stay and sleep with her in her room. Looking at this 18 year old lass, I gracefully declined, kissed her, and hurried back to my hotel which was merely a block away though the night was definitely freezing. It was simply too tempting and I didn't want anything to happen! No sex for my trip!
Especially not when parents were just living in the neighbouring room.
-Pic066
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I woke up the next day, to the sounds of my phone ringing. It was Girl3 demanding me to be at her home as soon as I can. I checked the time. Jesus, it was 7.30am! These Russian women sure are up and about early, even when they're on holiday!! Happened with Girl1, Girl2... at least the ones I've met anyway.
(Pic 071) was taken in front of her family's apartment block.
We visited her "vocational" school which apparently is compulsory in Russia as well as her normal high school. She had to hand in her holiday homework.
We played at a children's playground (Pic 070), like children. It was only us
. I don't think they were "in demand" at this time of the year.
-Pic 069)
-Pic 070)
-Pic 071)
-Pic 072)
Before we knew it, the day was already fast approaching darkness. She took me around the city (Pics 073, 074) and all the way up a famous street where aristocrats used to live. Along the way, we tried looking at the moon from this coin-operated scope (075) and sat down in front of this famous Cathedral (Pic 076). "Holy Dormition Cathedral" I think it was called.
She jumped straight on my lap! Man this lass definitely knows what she wants, without hesitation
My kind of woman.
We went straight home after that, noticeably shaking from the chilling windy weather.
We were more intimate tonight.
We had such deep kisses that lasted for what felt like it would never actually end. Ah, I think I could feel she wanted so much more from me.
She pushed me down on her bed and sat directly atop my crotch.
Erections followed and I think she felt it perhaps too well.
As if she read my mind, she told me:"My dear, we will not have sex! I am not that kind of woman, I am a virgin!"
I thought, alright that's cool and I told her I felt the same. That we shared similar values as I thought sex is something precious that should be reserved for your special beloved one
However, she wanted to pull down my pants still, and give me a "mouth to crotch massage" and I instantly jumped away at that point. "This was going too fast", I thought.
Truth be told, her sex drive was just off the charts! The infamous Russian Woman stereotype, TM'ed
. Actually, I'm sure she's always been this way! Throughout our time away from each other (when I was in the hotel room even), she would text me and describe to me how much she desired me whilst she masturbated away to orgasm. Hmm... sometimes I'm doubtful I'll be able to keep up after marriage
But, our minds connected so well! Tis should be but a small issue
She further asked me if I would like her to take medical tests to prove that she was indeed still a virgin before we marry and I was laughing to myself in my mind at this point. Is it even possible to prove it for sure? I doubt so. I've read too much about the female biology and I'm pretty sure you can't for certain.
We talked about how many we would like to have. How we would raise our hypothetical children together. All fun.
Girl3 definitely had a traditional sense of family, that's for sure. Again, my kind of woman!
-Pic 073)
-Pic 074)
-Pic 075)
-Pic 076)
Besides an outing with Girl3, Mama and her Brother to the same Cathedral we've visited before, nothing much happened the next day.
We took pictures together in front of many of the famous landmarks of this city (Pics 077, 078, 079, 080, 081, 082).
It was a great family outing, though I realised the children were definitely closer to mama than to papa, even though they've lived together all these years (except her brother who's moved out recently to Grandma's apartment). The reason? All blamed it on alcohol. We'll just leave it at that.
I learnt her brother is a classical pianist too, who's recently gone rogue with his music.
We returned home holding hands. Mama made dinner for us, and noticed I had some "love bites" on my neck. She didn't speak of it. However, even as we ate, I could feel tonight had a very different atmosphere and rightly so. Tonight was the night when we all finally had a very serious talk with Girl3's mama together.
Mama started sharing her love story with us. O.O" About how she thought her daughter really took after her as she too fell in love with a much older man, 11 years older than her because she had matured very early on and perhaps was too smart for her age to like men of similar age. She told me she fell in love with her husband (papa) at 15, and married at the age of 17 and gave birth to a son aged 18. From the tremors in her voice, I could sense she was meant what she said. That said, she approved of us and thought we were a good match. She thought I was a good boy. Indeed, I think I am, always!
I have my honor to protect.
We discussed Girl3's future, somewhat, and the conversation then lightened up abit as I shared my family photos with her. They were curious, of my family, my background, everything essentially. How we lived in the UK, what the weather was like in England (dull for sure XD) etc etc. Ah good times.
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These (Pics 083, 084) were panoramic shots of a very famous street very near the Cathedral. Statues present were all made of copper and just like the statue of liberty, had pretty much turned greenish blue completely except for certain spots, like the nose which are frequently tourist touched and rubbed.
-Pic 083)
-Pic 084)
I didn't know what Girl3 had planned for me on the fourth day as we've pretty much exhausted the most famous sites to visit, but I never quite imagined she would take me around the city to go window-shopping!! Wasn't something I fancied.
She took me to the largest shopping malls, dragged me along to various clothing outlets, all the while asking me to guess what she liked in the store. That was enjoyable but the fun quickly wore off as I became more accustomed to her tastes.
Thank goodness she didn't ask me to buy them! Then I would have had suspicions she was a gold-digger! Even though our month-long correspondence had shown she should be wiser than to be afflicted by materialism. We visited a few souvenir shops where I bought a couple of beer glasses to remind me of her city.
Now I was a little bit annoyed at this point, as my hands felt like they were increasingly "burning". It was like frost-bite. No it definitely felt like frost-bite! Hence I told her I didn't see the point of us going all the way around the city, window-shopping as I would rather spend the limited time that I have left in Vladimir touring memorable places, and making our time together a very special memory before I have to leave.
I didn't realise I'll had made her cry at this point as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I don't even want to think about you leaving already!" exclaimed Girl3, flustered, angry and sad.
I felt quite sorry at this point. I wiped away her tears and told her we won't think about it, but I would rather we go somewhere special, richer in history perhaps.
So we walked again, slowly, and wandered ever closer to the embankment as we took these pictures together (Pics 085, 086, 087), trying my best to cheer her up and calm her nerves down ever so slightly, telling her this was only just, "the beginning".
-Pic 085)
-Pic 086)
-Pic 087)
Ah, my final day of stay in Vladimir. What an emotional roller-coaster few days it's been. I think Girl3 and I truly shared a very strong connection. I've never talked to a FSU woman who possessed such a strong command of English and one who could really understand me and to some extent, read my mind so well.
If there was ever a thing like a soulmate in this world. This would probably be it, I reckon.
This time, we left via taxi just before noon for the train station, where we hugged and kissed like mad.
As I held her in my arms, gently caressing her back, tears started rolling down her cheeks and before I knew it, she was already sobbing uncontrollably, non-stop, seemingly oblivious to the curious pedestrian onlookers. I think I've never made a girl cry this hard, ever
. Never once, in my entire life had I ever felt so bad about leaving someone behind. Yet, we knew it had to happen. She had to fulfill her obligations, as did I.
Yet, for once in my life, I didn't know a man could feel so lost. Lost in uncertainty, lost in thought, lost in feeling...
I left her some souvenirs before I left (Pic 088). She on the other hand, gave me a locket that she said, was the most precious item that she had in her possession. She wanted me to have it so that I could bring it back to her the next time we met. Ah how ingenious! My heart was touched.
Even after I've gone, she would take pictures of herself, hugging teddy to sleep. Very cute
And Even days after I've departed, we never ceased our correspondence, and in fact we kept talking alot, via voice messages like this one below so much so that it was obvious that she's fallen for me, quite hard.
http://drive.google.com/file/d/1BrBhzdHzJlfLne-YLErfAS2D1HX7Sgt8/view
-Pic 088)
MoscowAh, finally I'm back in familiar Moscow! By this time, the snow had all but melted away. I finally had some downtime now!
Man I really needed it after such a passionate and soulful time with Girl3. It took me almost three days before I felt I was ready to date again and even so, she remained unforgettable at the back of my mind.
I originally intended to stay at the backup place that I've originally booked but the bunk bed was just too uncomfortable and I found that I couldn't possibly do anything productive at all, from my bunk. Most of my fellow bunk mates were workers from nearby cities. Many Asians like this guy from Saratov (Pic 089), working the nightshift, doing the hard labour in Moscow. Even though my experience is anecdotal, I definitely noticed lots of people of the Asian-look stereotype working the lower wage jobs in Moscow (Pic 090). Most were probably from the surrounding FSU states and I am sure to these folks, Moscow is still pretty much the place to be.
Trivia: How the hell did this overpriced piece of s*** make it here??
(Pic 091). Shocked I was for sure
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Straightaway the next day after I've arrived back in Moscow, I moved to a much more comfortable place to stay around Arbat. Finally, I have regained some privacy! Phew. It wasn't too shabby (Pic 092)
. Ate at the nearby Burger King (Pic 093), where I was just completely taken aback by the fact that tomato sauce is NO LONGER dispensed FREE!!! What?? Moscow? A city of such cultural sophistication? Why?? :/
-Pic 092)
-Pic 093)
It was such a very nice area to stay. Tis Beautiful Arbat (Pics 094, 095). I wasn't too impressed with the drainage systems of the main streets though. They were quite clogged up even when the snow melted and I can't seem to understand why the drain here for example drains onto the asphalt and damages it for sure (Pic 096). The red square had better storm gutters (Pic 097).
I visited the famous G.U.M mall and had their iconic icecream.
-Pic 094)
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The rest of my downtime days were spent wandering around the Red Square. I saw Stalin's Mausoleum (Pic 098) though I couldn't get in.
There, I had the misfortune to encounter scammers (Pic 099). Their modus operandi was this. First, they would ask where you're from. Then they'll asked whether you'll like pictures with them in their fancy costumes, To which I thought, why not?
Once pictures have been taken, THEN, they'll suddenly hit you with their fees. "You need to pay us 3000 rubles, for photos, it's standard rate"
Oh man you should've seen my face turn so sour. "No. WE NEVER AGREED TO THIS!"I bellowed, already incensed. However, these folks won't let up. So I told them:"OK! I can do WITHOUT THE PHOTOS! LET'S DELETE THEM!". And I did, except for this one (Pic 099).
They were sorely mistaken if they think they could play me around. What audacity! As instantly as they came with all smiles, they left and gave up without delay. Seeking their next prey, no doubt.
Moscow was definitely a very lively city with lots of things to "discover", like this heater chair on the bus that ran off the engine heat that I've discovered by chance (Pic 100). I watched this "Russian Hip Hop Championship" (Pic 101) with fellow Russians in the common room when I wasn't out and about. It seems it's quite a hit with teens
I had myself registered (Pic 103) at the Russian State Library (Pic 102). I've always loved libraries
Won't miss them for anything else, especially this one with such a rich history.
To any fellow adventurers venturing into Moscow, I high recommend dropping by
It would help to know how to read a little Russian though.
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-Pic 101)
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-Pic 103)
Finally, today was the day I met Girl4. The last girl I've had very long correspondence with before I set out planning my trip. We met right in the afternoon, on a sunny day near her university. I handed her flowers (21 roses to be exact, fresh from the Riga Flower Market) and she was pleased. She kept telling me:"Oh it's too much!!".
She asked me where I wanted to go, so I took charge. I decided for us to go the the Red Square, where we took this nice picture (Pic 104) together in front of the Statue of General Zhukov, a character I highly admire for his strategic brilliance.
However, the date was very short-lived and it lasted only till early evening as we quickly realised we didn't share similar values.
"Forgive me for asking, but how much do you make as a student?" she asked, without shame. Hahaha. "Not much, just enough to live by" I answered wryly.
"Oh", said Girl4, lost in thought, seemingly becoming uninterested in our conversation, the longer it went on. We'll just leave it at that. I've pretty much lost my interest at this point.
As a side note, I think ultimately, this is of the utmost importance when searching for a partner to live your life with. Soulmate, Chemistry etc you may call it whatever you want. To me, it is simply herd mentality.
I do not proclaim to be a "love guru" know-it-all. However, I think I do have ideas as to how strong relationships are built and this is my theory:
We all want to feel cared for, loved. We all want to be somewhere familiar, somewhere safe. Only then, can trust develop, And only with trust, can love blossom. And for that to develop, we surely indeed, need to possess and share the same values, beliefs. I.e Belonging to the same herd. And the more values you share, the stronger the relationship will last.
-Pic 104)
-Pic 105)
I had a couple of other dates with various women from different backgrounds all over Moscow but none I found shared as deep a connection as Girl3. As such, I've grown to cherish her more every passing day
Sometimes I think Mendy was spot on, when he explained that you were more likely wasting your time in big cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, where womens' standards and expectations were simply too much for the commoner.
To hell with their stuck up attitude and materialism! Coincidentally, little towns/cities seem to have given me the best result. Worked for me
Besides dating inconsequentially on and off, I spent the rest of my days in Moscow touring. Pic 105 showed a man planted on a pillar. Pic 106 was taken with the Moscow Financial Centre as a backdrop. Pic 108 shows the famous Lomonosov University as the background.
I had the chance to witness the sunset from the hilltops near the Red Square (Pics 108, 109). The Moscow skyline is simply beautiful in its own right. A city that never sleeps.
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-Pic 108)
-Pic 109)
Pic 110 shows my final Sunset in Russia as I journeyed back to Arbat, for the last time... before I set out tomorrow.
-Pic 110)
The night before I left, I also had the chance to catch this (Pic 111) mesmerising street. Beautiful for sure and reminded me of London.
I woke up the next day early in the morning, to the sounds of someone knocking my door. Ah, it's the receptionist reminding me to pack up and leave by noon. And leave I did, this time, on the Aeroexpress on my final leg to Sheremetyevo Airport! (Pic 112) -Continued Below
